How to Cut Paint in a Straight Line

Painting along an edge requires a drier brush and a steady hand

Learning how to “cut in” in a straight line can make the difference between a “professional” looking finish and a sloppy one. Cutting in is what you do when you want to keep the paint off the abutting surface, i.e.: ceilings, casings, moldings or, as Brian Doherty demonstrates in this video, window mullions and sashes.

Brian, a Richmond, Virginia, full-time painter and part-time musician, recommends a light touch and slowly rotating the bristles forward into the cutline, using the full length of the brush.